


If You Weren't Mine I'd Be Jealous Of Your Love

by annabeth_the_duck



Category: The Rosewood Chronicles - Connie Glynn
Genre: Angst, Fainting, Flu, Fluff, Gen, Influenza, It's just ellie teasing them, Jamie Volk is Adorable, Minor Jamie Volk/Lottie Pumpkin, Royal Trio - Freeform, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sickfic, Sickness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i didn't name the school nurse bc im lazy, jamie has really soft hair, jamie's sad :(, just a small bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabeth_the_duck/pseuds/annabeth_the_duck
Summary: Jamie gets the flu. It's just Jamie fluff.
Relationships: Ellie Wolf & Lottie Pumpkin, Jamie Volk & Ellie Wolf, Jamie Volk & Ellie Wolf & Lottie Pumpkin, Jamie Volk & Lottie Pumpkin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	If You Weren't Mine I'd Be Jealous Of Your Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Norman Fucking Rockwell while writing this so... the title's from Venice Bitch. I'm not sure how much it fits but i had no idea what to name it.  
> I need more Royal Trio content so I wrote it myself here's 4.4k of fluff

When Jamie walked into English class this morning, Lottie was immediately worried. He banged into several desks and chairs on his way in, an alarming contrast to his usual sharp and precise movements, and when he finally made it to his seat, he almost fell out of it. He braced an arm against the desk to keep from swaying side to side, grinding his hand into his forehead as if to stave off a headache, not even noticing as Lottie blatantly stared at him. Ms Kuma started taking the roll, and Lottie’s eyes snapped back to the front of the classroom to pay attention. The teacher had to call Jamie’s name twice before he responded. It didn’t seem to concern the teacher, but it concerned Lottie. She knew Jamie. Normally he caught every glance she shot his way, but today he didn’t even register her eyes on him every few seconds during the lesson. Combining Jamie’s inattentiveness with his slightly glazed-over eyes and the way he stumbled over the question Ms Kuma aimed his way, and Lottie knew something was wrong.

When Ms Kuma finally dismissed them for lunch, Lottie whispered her concerns to Ellie. The other girl had also picked up on Jamie’s state, so they both loitered while the last few students filed out, Ms Kuma organized her papers and Jamie sluggishly packed up his belongings. As soon as he had put everything in his bag he moved to head to lunch and promptly tripped over thin air. Ellie raced towards him as he fell, half-catching him in her arms, his head against her chest and her arms under his. Jamie was completely limp in her arms. She lowered him down to the floor gently, still holding him up. Jamie stirred, putting a hand to his head and groaning.

“Jamie, are you okay?” Lottie gasped, immediately rushing to his side.

“I think it would be wise for you to go to the nurse, Jamie,” Ms Kuma said, having caught on to what was wrong early in the lesson. Jamie started to protest that he was fine, but Ms Kuma simply stated, “At least get some paracetamol for your headache. There’s no harm in going.”

Jamie sighed and rose from the floor with Lottie and Ellie hovering over him. “I’m fine, really.” He slurred, but just wanting to ease his migraine. “I’m just a little dizzy.”

Miss Kuma gave him an unimpressed look and told Lottie and Ellie go with him to make sure he made it there in one piece, then ushered them from the room. The trio departed to the sick bay, Jamie grumbling irritably the whole way. Even if he wasn’t so concerned about his health, Ellie and Lottie were, and they were going to make sure he went if it killed them. Which it quite possibly would, with the way Jamie was glowering at them.

They entered the sick bay, Jamie looking uncomfortable, while Ellie prodded him forward. His eyes widened as he stumbled forward again, but luckily his reflexes kicked in this time and he caught himself on one of the sick bay beds. He winced and straightened, wobbling. “I’d’ve thought you’d think through pushing me around, especially because I passed out five minutes ago, but apparently not,” he muttered, sitting down hard on the bed. Ellie started to apologize, but he waved it off with an “It’s fine.” Jamie’s head spun – or was it the room? – and he held his face in his hands to dim the harsh lighting of the school sick bay.

“Jamie? Jamie? Jamie-” Lottie’s voice filtered in, the soft tones not as bad as a regular voice but still aggravating his headache.

“Mmm?” He murmured, just wanting to go to sleep.

“Can you listen for a few minutes? The nurse just needs you to pay attention for ten minutes or so and then you can go back to your room and rest.”

Jamie spared a brief moment to worry about the classes he’d be missing before he raised his head. “Yup, I’m awake,” he muttered sarcastically. God his head was killing him.

“You’re Jamie? Jamie Volk?” The nurse confirmed before moving onto the rest of her assessment of his health. “Right. Can you tell me why you’re here?”

Jamie, Lottie and Ellie filled her in on the details, Jamie describing his symptoms and headache.

“Hmm,” the nurse ponders. “Okay. Can I take your temperature?” Jamie nodded, although it seemed to be a rhetorical question as the nurse was already hunting for the equipment. After a couple minutes she finally procured the thermometer. “Just hold it under your tongue for three minutes and don’t open your mouth.”

Jamie nodded his acknowledgment again, huffing through his nose as the nurse stuck the thermometer in his mouth. He was sure he looked ridiculous. This was confirmed by Ellie’s silent laughter, shaking body and face hidden in her palm, and Lottie’s slightly upturned mouth. Once Ellie had calmed down and looked up again Jamie scrunched his nose up at her, and she lost it again.

Three minutes was a _very_ long time. Jamie could feel himself becoming drowsier by the second. “Jamie. Stay _awake_ ,” Lottie said, squeezing his shoulder and forcing him to look into her eyes. Jamie almost responded before he remembered the thermometer in his mouth.

“Don’t open your mouth, we’re trying to take your temperature.” Jamie turned his glare on Ellie, though apparently it just looked silly because Ellie cracked up again. _Surely_ three minutes was up by now?

After another hour – or at least it felt that way to Jamie – the nurse finally took the temperature-measuring stick of frustration (as he was calling it) out and read it. “37.9,” She tutted. “Yup, you’ve definitely got a fever.” Jamie was about to protest, but suddenly he realized he was freezing, and even shivering a little. Maybe he _did_ have a fever.

The nurse started talking again and Jamie zoned out. His remaining energy had suddenly vanished, leaving him stranded on the edge of consciousness and straining to stay awake. Luckily, he managed to not fall asleep during the lecture, but only barely. Jamie let himself slip away into a foggy almost-sleep state, only realizing the nurse had stopped talking to him when Lottie was tugging on his arm.

“What- where’re we going?” Jamie mumbled. He winced at how ragged his voice sounded, coughing to try to clear it.

Lottie stared at him, eyebrows raised and Ellie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “We’re going back to your dorm, dimwit. Did you even listen to anything the nurse said?” Jamie gazed at her uncomprehendingly and she facepalmed, lips twitching in the shadow of a smile. “Okay. So basically, you probably have the flu, you’ll be sick for about a week, you can catch up on schoolwork later, you’re supposed to recover in your dorm, and… I think that’s it.”

Jamie’s eyes focused on a bag in Ellie’s hand. How he didn’t notice it before, he didn’t know. Maybe he was just generally an idiot when he was sick. “What’s that?”

Ellie raised the bag slightly, a clinking noise coming from inside it. “It’s medication. You know, paracetamol, cough medicine, um… other flu things.” Ellie shrugged. Jamie nodded, swaying suddenly on his feet. Ellie’s eyes widened and she quickly handed the medicine to Lottie and grabbed onto Jamie, trying to stop him from collapsing. “Oh, geez, Jamie, you really gotta stop half-passing out. Come on, let’s get to your room so you can rest.”

Jamie nodded distractedly. Ellie huffed, putting his arm around her shoulders and nearly dragging him to his dorm. When they finally got there, Ellie was puffing. Jamie slid down onto his bed, thumping onto the mattress and relaxing. Maybe now he could finally go to sleep?

“Jamie!” An incessant tapping on his shoulder prevented him from falling into a deep sleep. He groaned, grabbing a pillow and swinging it vaguely in the direction of the tapping person, then shoving it over his head to drown everything out.

“Jamie,” A softer voice came next to his head. “Can you please take your medicine? I know you’re tired, but if you want to get better you have to take care of yourself properly.” Although sleep tempted him, he knew the person had a point. He slowly got up and blindly grabbed the medicine bag, waking up a bit more to swipe a change of pyjamas so he could be more comfortable. While the school uniform looked very smart, it wasn’t exactly ideal for sleeping in.

“Thanks,” Jamie tossed over his shoulder on the way to the adjoining bathroom, his voice still rough. He sighed. Maybe he’d feel better after dosing up on medicine.

* * *

“He’s a mess,” Ellie moaned once the bathroom door had thudded shut.

“He’s not too bad,” Lottie replied, a bit unconvincingly. “We’ll just have to be sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he’s taking care of himself.”

“No, Lottie. Every time he’s gotten sick – which isn’t very often, which makes him all the worse when he _does_ get sick – he’s just… strange. Sometimes, the medicine makes him go all loopy and strange, and he’s just… ugh. He’s like a child, which is kinda funny to see in him but – oh, nevermind. My point is – we have to really take care of him.” Lottie snorted, confusing Ellie. “What?”

“It’s just…” Lottie bit her lip, holding back a laugh. “It’s weird seeing you being all nurturing, I’m not used to it. Especially because it’s Jamie we’re talking about, he _hates_ being taken care of.”

Ellie considered that. “Yeah, I suppose so… I don’t know. It brings back memories from when we were smaller and were more _friends_ instead of a Princess and her Partizan.” Lottie smiled, giving Ellie a hug.

“We can still take care of Jamie. He’s not invincible. He’s human, and he needs help sometimes.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ellie took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing her muscles. “Come on, let’s go play nurse.”

* * *

Jamie splashed water over his face, drying it with a towel then exiting the bathroom. He tossed his crumpled uniform over his desk chair, turning around to face Ellie and Lottie standing in the middle of his bedroom. “What?” he said irritably.

Lottie sighed. “Okay. So, Jamie. Tomorrow’s Friday. Then we haven’t got classes for the weekend, so we can be here to watch over you. Tomorrow, you must remember to take your medicine on time, drink lots of water, and don’t layer up too many blankets on yourself, even if you’re cold. You need to let the flu run its course. When the fever is gone, you’re still going to be sick for a few days. Anyway, for tonight, just drink a lot-” Lottie handed him a plastic water bottle, already full- “And try to get some sleep.”

She practically pushed him to his bed. Jamie was a little annoyed at the overly strict instructions – as though he didn’t know what to do when he got a cold – but he was too tired to get properly frustrated. He just nodded wearily and climbed into bed, pulling the sheets over himself and faceplanting on the pillow. He heard a faint, teasing, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” from Ellie and threw a half-hearted middle finger over in her general direction. She snorted and said, gentler now, “Rest well.”

He mumbled “Sap,” which he wasn’t even sure he heard, but then he was drifting off into a blessedly deep sleep.

* * *

Jamie woke late the next morning, light seeping through his curtains. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging lightly at some knots as he registered his surroundings. A small basket containing food, books, and Ellie’s iPod was on the ground next to his bed. He caught sight of a note and unfolded it.

_Jamie:_

_Seriously, don’t forget to take your medicine. But also don’t take too much. We brought you a basket of stuff so you’re not completely bored, and some food because you’re probably not feeling up for a trip to the kitchens. Drink plenty of water. Just rest._

_< 3 Lottie_

_I left you my iPod because I think it still has some songs you like on it in case you want to listen to music. Don’t die :)_

  * _Ellie_



Jamie snorted at Ellie’s heartfelt message. He swung his legs out of bed to complete his short to-do list and then returned to bed to eat a sandwich. A quick glance at his watch told him it was 11:26 am. Ellie and Lottie would be in Mathematics. Once he’d finished eating, a wave of sleepiness overtook him again. He hunted around for his earbuds for a couple minutes and plugged them into the iPod, quickly finding a playlist titled ‘Jamie’s songs’ and pressing play. He crawled back into bed and went back to sleep.

* * *

When their classes were finally over, Lottie and Ellie hurried to Jamie’s room and found him in a dead sleep. They decided to just leave him be for a while, digging out their books to study and talking in quiet tones. After about 20 minutes of chatting and working through the English comprehension they’d been assigned, Jamie rolled over and yawned, pulling out his earbuds. He opened his eyes, squinting at them. “Hi,” he sighed, resting his head on his arm and staring unnervingly at Lottie. He shivered, yanking another blanket towards him and wrapping it around his top half, burying his head in between the folds. Lottie raised her eyebrows at Ellie, who merely mouthed ‘ _I told you so._ ’

Lottie crept towards Jamie. She whisked his blanket away, exposing him to her and Ellie. He sat up and glared at her. With his messy bed-hair and old, slightly-too-large pyjamas he looked adorable. Jamie poked his tongue out a little bit at her. Lottie laughed in disbelief, turning her face to Ellie with an expression of _Is this even the same person?_ Ellie nodded wearily, used to Jamie’s antics when sick, and grabbed the blanket back from Lottie. She gently pressed down on Jamie’s shoulders until he fell back onto the bed with a huff. Ellie draped the blanket over him and patted his forehead. “Go to sleep.” She told him firmly. He rolled over, pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders, and appeared to just fall back asleep.

Lottie shook her head in incredulity. “This is what he’s like?”

“Oh no,” Ellie said. “This isn’t even the full effect. You should see him when he’s basically high on the medicine. That’s a whole other personality.”

* * *

The next day, Saturday, Jamie had to go back to the nurse for another check-up. Luckily, his fever had passed in the night, and his temperature was relatively normal, if still a little bit higher than usual. He was prescribed with four more days of rest, and then he could go back to class as long as his condition hadn’t worsened.

Only four more days. Jamie groaned, sniffing. He was horribly congested and couldn’t go five minutes without blowing his nose or coughing, and he was miserable. He stared at the ceiling, spread out on his bed, and groaned.

“Ssshh, Jamie, I’m trying to finish this question,” Ellie muttered, buried in her homework.

Jamie threw a pillow at her. “Last time I checked you weren’t the one who caught the freaking flu.”

“O-kay,” Lottie said, intervening in what was likely to become an argument. “Ellie, why don’t we take a break from studying and get a movie or something to watch from the library?”

“Oh!” Jamie said up straight. “Can we watch Men in Black?”

Lottie laughed, still finding his borderline obsession with the movies funny. “Sure, as long as it’s available.”

While Ellie and Lottie went to get the movie and a mini projector device so they could project it onto the wall, Jamie took some more medicine and went to the bathroom. He refilled his water bottle and settled on the bed with his back against the wall, eager to start the movie. Once his friends had returned, successful in their hunt for the movie, they set it up against the wall opposite to his bed and started the movie. Lottie wrapped a blanket around all three of them and they huddled together, enjoying the glow of the film in the darkness of the room. Even though he’d wanted to watch the movie, Jamie found himself getting sleepier and sleepier. He rested his head on Ellie’s shoulder, closing his eyes and letting his guard down. Ellie’s head shifted to look at him, and though he didn’t see it he knew a small smile was playing across her face. She tossed another blanket over his legs and he yawned.

Jamie stayed on the cusp of sleep through the movie, the sounds of the film occasionally punctuated by Ellie or Lottie saying something. After a while, the movie’s credits rolled and Ellie squirmed, bringing him further back from the edge of unconsciousness. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to lose the dreamy feeling in the air.

“I think he’s asleep,” Ellie murmured. “He looks so peaceful.” Jamie smiled slightly, turning his face into her shoulder. Ellie shifted him so his head was in her lap, and he twisted around to get more comfortable, hoping Ellie didn’t move anytime soon.

Lottie giggled softly, scootching closer to Ellie and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, keeping her legs swept to the side so as not to disturb Jamie’s position. Jamie hummed, completely satisfied.

Ellie ran her fingers through his hair, a bit hesitantly at first, and Jamie almost cried. It had been a long time since anyone had shown him this much physical affection, and he sighed contentedly, melting into Ellie’s lap.

“Oh, I forgot how soft his hair is,” Ellie remarked. “It’s been – what, years? – since I’ve done this.”

“Maybe you should do it more often, then,” Jamie murmured, still half-asleep and lacking a brain-to-mouth filter and common sense. Ellie’s hand froze, mid-way through his hair, and Lottie laughed softly. “Well, don’t stop,” Jamie huffed, and Ellie resumed her petting of his hair.

After about 15 minutes Ellie’s legs were growing numb. She paused her hair-stroking and wiggled her way out from below Jamie’s head, trying not to let him notice too much. Nevertheless, Jamie soon realized the loss of contact and practically _whined_ , glaring with squinted eyes at Ellie. Lottie supressed her smile and took over caressing Jamie’s hair. “Wow, you’re right, it _is_ soft,” she said, rubbing a few of the strands between her fingers. Jamie smirked.

The boy sneezed, coughing a couple of times. There was a tickle in his throat that wouldn’t go away, and it kept annoying him. His occasional coughs soon turned into a coughing fit, and he sat up, unable to get quite enough air to breath. Lottie sat next to him, rubbing his back to try to ease it. Ellie fetched a cup of water for him. Eventually the fit died down, and he sat back, exhausted. He took the cup of water gratefully and downed most of its contents, leaning over to place it on his bedside table and then pulling his legs to his chest and burying his face in them. Why was he so pathetic? It was just the dumb flu, he should be better than this. He couldn’t be weak in front of anyone.

Jamie didn’t even notice he was wheezing until Lottie squeezed his hand to bring him back to reality. He flinched away from the concerned look in her eyes. He didn’t need her worry, he shouldn’t make her worry.

Ellie knew what was happening. It had happened to her often enough. The fact that Jamie was still struggling with his feelings of weakness was worrying, but she couldn’t dwell on that right now. Right now, Jamie needed her help.

“Hey. Hey, Jamie,” Ellie spoke. Her voice was soft yet firm, providing support while also lending comfort. “Can you look at me?” Jamie bit his lip hard and turned his gaze to her. His eyes were glassy with tears. Jamie _never_ cried. In all her life, Jamie had seen Ellie cry at least a dozen times, but not once had she witnessed the same of him. Her heart broke for him and she almost wanted to cry herself, but she had to focus. “Jamie, you are not weak because you are sick. This flu was not your fault, and no one blames you for it. You are strong, even without our help. You’re strong because you’re brave enough to accept help. You’re strong because you help other people. You are worthy of our love and support, and I really wish you would accept it more often. It’s good to be independent, but it’s okay to lean on people. We’re here for you. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Jamie reached out and grabbed Ellie’s hand, squeezing it hard. Ellie squeezed back. He still wasn’t letting himself cry, too afraid of how Ellie and Lottie would judge him.

Lottie moved slightly across the bed, letting her side press against Jamie’s. “Jamie, it’s also okay to cry. You’re not any weaker for it and we won’t judge you. We won’t tell anyone. You’re safe here with us.”

The ‘you’re safe here with us’ resonated within Jamie, making him feel both calm and emotional at the same time. Slowly, a few tears tracked down his face, still silent. His shoulders shook with noiseless sobs, more tears running down his face.

“You might be a mess, but, hey, all of us are,” Ellie joked before turning more serious. “You’re not alone.”

Jamie smiled through the tears, using his sleeve to wipe his face. He sniffed, snatching a tissue to blow his nose. “Thanks.” His voice came out scratchy and broken, but it no longer hurt. He’d be okay.

* * *

Sunday passed uneventfully. Lottie and Ellie studied for a revision test they had coming up on Monday while Jamie steadily made through the stack of books Lottie had borrowed for him from the school library. He took his medicine and drank water and recovered.

On Monday after dinner, Lottie and Ellie walked into Jamie’s dorm, trading answers on the test. They stopped in their tracks when they noticed Jamie perched in a near impossible position on the windowsill. Thank God the window was closed and he couldn’t have fallen out.

“Oh no,” Ellie said immediately.

“What is it?” Lottie demanded.

“He’s high.”

“WHAT?”

Ellie snorted despite herself. “No, no! Not that type of high. Well, kind of. I recognise that look in his eyes; he’s gone mental because of the medication. It’s not too bad, but it can last for a while, and he acts really… weird.” Ellie trailed off and shook her head.

Lottie took a moment to gather her patience and sanity. “Well. Might as well try to enjoy the childishness while it lasts.”

* * *

The next morning, Lottie and Ellie woke up late because of how late they’d stayed at Jamie’s dorm the previous night (they had to sneak back and almost got caught) and didn’t have time to check on Jamie in the morning. When they stopped by his room with lunch, they found a note that said he’d had to spend a day in the sick bay just for observation and that he’d be back at class tomorrow, a day later than expected. They were a little worried but brushed it off and went on with their day, sans one Jamie Volk.

On Tuesday morning, the pair anxiously waited in the dining hall for Jamie to arrive. When he finally entered, looking a little tired but a whole lot better, they grinned at each other and waved him over. He spotted them and quickly grabbed some breakfast before making his way over to them.

“Hi!” Lottie smiled at him. “Are you feeling better? You still look a little tired. Did you sleep well?”

Jamie smirked at Lottie’s relentless questioning. “Yes, I’m feeling better. Yes, I’m a bit tired. I sleep alright, but it could’ve been better, I guess.” He looked over at Ellie. “What, no welcome party from you?”

Ellie bit back a laugh and ruffled his hair. He huffed, then looked sheepish. “Um, by the way… did I happen to do anything strange on Monday night? I don’t really have any memory of that night and-” he addressed Ellie- “You know how I tend to get on medication. Did I do anything weird?”

Ellie and Lottie looked at each other and burst out laughing. Jamie just sighed. “Oh no.”

“ _Well_ ,” Ellie started with a flourish. “For starters, you perched up on the windowsill and when we tried to talk to you, all you said was ‘tweet’,” A devilish grin took over Ellie’s face. “And _then_ you feel off the windowsill onto the floor and tried to make a snow angel, except there was no snow so you just got a mild carpet burn.”

“I wondered how I got those bruises,” Jamie muttered to himself as Ellie cackled.

“Don’t forget about how he was moaning to us about how he couldn’t protect us,” Lottie chimed in, a sly grin overtaking her features. “And two seconds later he was trying to touch his nose with his tongue. For _ten whole minutes_.” Jamie facepalmed, regretting asking them.

“And you counted stars outside for a whole hour, it was quite impressive actually-"

“Oh yeah, and you recited a whole passage from your book while reading it upside down-!”

“And you made a mini tower out of crackers and cheese-”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Jamie was unable to stop himself from smirking.

“But we’re not done yet!” Lottie exclaimed. “You tried to get up for hot chocolate and you fell on your face, and we thought you fainted, but you just rolled over and told us ‘I’m a slug’.”

“Or, my personal favourite,” Ellie said, immediately worrying Jamie. “When you fell asleep in Lottie’s lap while she was studying and refused to move-”

“Why am I friends with you.” Jamie said, more a statement than a question, moving to another table.

“Because you love us,” Ellie said, setting her plate down next to his. “Especially Lottie.”

Jamie went bright red and elbowed Ellie, avoiding eye contact with Lottie, who was laughing on the other side of the table. He and Ellie caught each other’s glances and he smiled at her, just a little, to which she responded with a huge grin. He smirked at Lottie, too, and she blushed almost redder than he did. Jamie returned to his breakfast, a small smile still perched on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Um so I hope you enjoyed it! It took me much longer than my other fics because this is significantly longer. I'm not sure how good it is bc it feels really awkward in places but oh well I tried :/  
> Please leave kudos and comments, they motivate me to write, stay safe and have a great day :)


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